Ruby has the distinction of being the most valued gemstone
throughout most of recorded history. Ancient Sanskrit referred
to the ruby as the "king of precious stones", the bible
found only wise and virtuous women more precious than
rubies and the Persian sage al-Biruni wrote about rubies
the first place in color, beauty and rank among all gems.
The name Ruby comes from the Latin word ruber for its hue.
The strength of red in the ruby depends on how much chromium
is present—the more chromium, the stronger the red color.
Chromium can also cause fluorescence, which adds to the
intensity of the red color. The brilliant crimson color
of this gem is associated with passion and love, making
the ruby an ideal choice for engagement rings.

There are many famous rubies throughout history, two
of which can be seen at the Smithsonian Institution, National
Museum of Natural History including the 138.72-carat Rosser
Reeves Star Ruby from Sri Lanka and the 23.10-carat Carmen
Lucia Ruby which is considered one of the world's finest
large Burmese rubies.

Le Vian® Passion RubyTM comes from Mozambique.

"Passion RubyTM, the July birthstone, embodies our
passionate red color and represents the top of production
of responsibly sourced ruby."